JAMES FORREST believes that Aiden McGeady and Spartak Moscow’s plastic pitch could be the biggest threats to Celtic’s Champions League hopes in Russia tomorrow night.

James Forrest is well aware they will have to up their game again to cope with the artificial pitch []

The Hoops, fresh from going top of the SPL after their win at Motherwell, now head to the Luzhniki Stadium looking to get their first away points on the board.

Celtic are in form but Forrest is well aware they will have to up their game again to cope with the artificial pitch and the trickery of former Celtic winger McGeady.

Forrest said: “It will be difficult playing against Aiden. Most of the boys here know him. He’s a good attacking player and he’ll be one of their biggest threats.

“There was Aiden and Maloney playing in my position and it was great for me to learn off both.

“They were playing first team, so it was ideal for me to watch and pick up a lot of things from them to help me become a better player.

There was Aiden and Maloney playing in my position and it was great for me to learn off both

James Forrest

“I’ve learned off Aiden and Shaun. Now it’s about me in the first team and I’m going to concentrate on staying there and doing as well as I can.”

Celtic managed to get a draw the last time they were in the Luzhniki, thanks to a Paul Hartley goal, in the qualifying round of the Champions League under Gordon Strachan.

They also have the added advantage of having played on an artificial pitch in the qualifier with HJK Helsinki.

Forrest hopes that will stand them in good stead and said: “We’ve played on an artificial surface a few times. We played on it in Helsinki, while we’ve also trained on it a few times.

“We know what it’s going to be like and it will be a hard game. So we’ll just need to get on with it.

“But you also have to remember Spartak play on it every other week, so it will also suit them.”

Meanwhile, Celtic remain hopeful that full-back Adam Matthews will recover from an ankle injury in time to face Spartak after rolling an ankle in training last Friday.

Striker Lassad Nouioui is definitely out with a calf injury, but Wales defender Matthews – who also missed Saturday’s 2-0 win over Motherwell – arrived at Glasgow Airport with his right foot in a cast.